1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a computer readable recording medium stored with computer program for controlling an image forming apparatus, and a method for controlling an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, various techniques have been suggested to store history data (log) of actions of an apparatus, so that, at a later point in time, a user finds a content of a malfunction which has occurred when the user uses a certain type of apparatuse. See Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-267876. This technique discloses a game apparatus for storing history data about operation inputs performed with operation input means in order to find a malfunction in the operation input means such as button switches. The game apparatus detects a loss of operation input signals on the basis of the history data of the operation inputs, and determines abnormality of the operation input means. The history data of the operation inputs is repeatedly obtained in order to determine abnormality, and is accumulated in an IC memory and the like in chronological order. The IC memory and the like need to be a nonvolatile memory so that a malfunction can be found at a later point in time even when an electric power supply of the apparatus is turned off.
However, processing for accumulating data in a nonvolatile memory as necessary requires a high level of processing load, and therefore, this processing may adversely affect the working performance of the apparatus. On the other hand, a method for storing data without affecting the working performance includes a method for accumulating data in a volatile memory such as a RAM. However, the volatile memory has a problem in that it cannot maintain the accumulated data when the electric power supply of the apparatus is turned off.
Under the circumstances involving the above problem, an image forming apparatus and the like often put importance on storing a log of actions based on operations performed by a user without adversely affecting the working performance of the image forming apparatus, and therefore, use a volatile memory. The log is accumulated so that, at a later point in time, a developer and the like finds a content of a malfunction occurring while the image forming apparatus is used.
In this case, while the image forming apparatus is used, a malfunction such as a freeze (a state in which actions are stopped due to some reason, and operations cannot be received) is assumed to have occurred on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus. When a user of the image forming apparatus contacts a customer service to inquire about the malfunction, a service personnel may visit the user to directly cope with the malfunction. When the service personnel is unable to identify the cause of the malfunction, the service personnel obtains a log accumulated in a volatile memory of the image forming apparatus and provides the log to the developer and the like of the image forming apparatus. Then, the developer and the like can analyze the malfunction at a later point in time on the basis of the log. However, if the user turns off the image forming apparatus from when a malfunction of a freeze occurs to when the service personnel visits the user, the log accumulated in the volatile memory is lost. Therefore, when the user turns off the image forming apparatus, there is a problem in that the developer and the like cannot analyze the malfunction on the basis of the log, and cannot identify the cause of the malfunction.